Rossland Students Take Action on Invasive Species

To celebrate Invasive Species Action month CKISS visited the multi-age class students from the Rossland Summit School on Wednesday May 18th. The students utilized the outdoor classroom and surrounding trails to learn about invasive species, the impacts they have and what can be done to keep such invaders from disturbing the ecology.

“The Kootenay region is ecologically diverse, making our communities a beautiful place to live, work and play. Invasive species out-compete native plants and animals, they are the second greatest threat to biodiversity globally. This is why it is vital for youth to learn how to prevent, detect and manage invasive species and take action together” states Laurie Frankcom, Education Program Coordinator for CKISS

With summer just around the corner, May is the perfect time to take action on invasive species. The multi-age class from RSS joined CKISS for a fun filled morning with games, a scavenger hunt and a nature walk. The field trip taught the students what they can do to prevent invasive species from taking hold, and how to keep them from damaging British Columbia’s environment, economy and our society.

 “Human behaviour has been recognized as the number one pathway for invasive species spread and introduction. Simple actions like staying on marked trails, choosing native plants for your garden, not releasing aquarium pets into the wild and following the practice of Clean, Drain, Dry when transporting watercraft between water bodies are examples of what we can all do to minimize the spread of invasive species.” states Frankcom.

In addition, this year’s Invasive Species Action Month, includes a photo contest where people can post photos of invasive species and people taking action to prevent their spread. Photos must be posted to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #bcinvasivescontest to enter to win great prizes. To learn more about the photo contest and how to enter click here.